JTA - Since 2009, ESPN The Magazine has released an annual issue that features photos of renowned athletes posing nude. The Body Issue has become a fixture of popular sports culture that celebrates the immaculate bodies that top athletes can achieve.

Now, Israel’s popular Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper has given the idea a try, photographing 14 of Israel’s best athletes nude in “a first” for the country. According to Israel21C, fashion photographer Gabriel Baharlia spent two and a half weeks with the athletes to produce the images. The results, published last weekend, are as startling as ESPN’s.

Ariel Harush, 27 (soccer)

Ariel HarushGabriel Baharlia/Facebook/JTA

Ariel Harush is a soccer goalkeeper for the Israeli national team and Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Israeli Premier League.

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